MC Capital Fundraising Update

July 25, 2007

Mississippi College's $65 million campaign to enhance academic programs, scholarships and building projects has reached the $47 million mark, school leaders said Wednesday.

President Lee Royce met with MC's foundation board Tuesday morning to discuss the latest on the campaign known as "Growing the Vision."

"We are optimistic we will achieve our goal and have high hopes of exceeding it," said Don Phillips of Brandon, chairman of the foundation board and head of the campaign steering committee. "We are pleased with the progress so far."

The campaign went public during Homecoming festivities on the Clinton campus last fall.

Phillips, a 1954 MC alumnus, said Royce's leadership coupled with the enthusiasm over the record enrollment growth on campus and a host of new academic programs are helping fuel donations.

"People are excited about what's going on here," Phillips said. The campaign "is just getting into gear," and is due to be wrapped up in 2010, he said.

The campaign seeks to grow the vision for Mississippi College in three ways, Royce said.

The campaign will strengthen the Christian university for years to come, including he said, construction of a $3 million international center to help the university extend the global reach of its message. Other gifts are to renovate Self Hall, home of the School of Business, to gift the building a $1.2 million facelift. A new $2 million theatre and a $6 million drive to help the School of Law complete its campus in downtown Jackson are other pieces of the campaign. Jackson businessman and foundation board member Leland Speed is serving as campaign chairman.

The campaign is making "unbelievable" progress, said foundation board member Billy Joe Cross of Brandon, who joined his wife and fellow board member, Robbie, at Tuesday's meeting at the Alumni Conference Center. "People have stepped up to the plate."

"To reach $47 million in the third year of the campaign is quite a remarkable achievement," said Danny Rutland, vice president for advancement. "God continues to bless the university through the support of the Mississippi College family and thousands of alumni and friends nationwide."

PICTURED (left-right): Danny Rutland, vice president of Advancement, with Don Phillips, chairman of the foundation board and head of the campaign steering committee.